Combustible liquid lighter



Dec. 14, 1937. BOLLE www@ COMBUSTIBLE LZQUID LIGHTER Filed July 22, 1936 Haz. L??? ,Fl/0.11. l

` |l 22 14 ,6 7 fw ik?? 2 @2427 7573 vf 10 l l! 9117iv A v l 3 Vi.- .KL W4 11 T' 7*?? "u I Planted Dec. 14, 1937 PATENT loEElcE COMBUSTIBLE mourn uGnrEn Lon Bolla' Geneva, Switzerland,l assigner to La Nationale VSociete Anonyme,

Switzerland Geneva',

Application July 22,1936, Serial'NO. 92,007 In Switurlanll Jill! 27, 1935 s clams. (o1. vz-111) 'me object oftheinvenuon is a. combustible liquid lighter.

It comprises. as do other known combustible liquid lighters, an abrading wheel, a piece oi'4 pyrophoric material, a spring serving to put the piece of pyrophoric material in engagement with `the abradingwheel, means by which the spring can be maintained' mechanically in a position which prevents this engagement, a guiding device containing this piece of pyrophoric material and the spring. It is,'however, distinguished bythe iact that the guiding device is divided and presents no opening for laterally introducing the said piece of pyrophoric material and by the fact that means are provided to ensure a relative movement of the two 'parts on each side of the division such that the interior space of the guiding device becomes axially accessible so that the 'piece of pyrophoric material canbe reached without disassembling parts and without great compression of the spring.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, an embodiment of the combustible liquid lighter according lto the invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 are a side elevation and -a side elevation partly in section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections on the lines IV-IV. VV, VI-VI of. Fig. 2, the last being viewed 3D from below.

The lighter has the form Voi a right-angled prism having rectangular faces and is made of metal. It comprises a reservoir I containing the combustible liquid at its lower part, and a cham- 35 ber 2 enclosing the lighting mechanism at its upper part. 'Ihis latter is bounded by the lateral walls 3, Il, 5 of the body of the lighter, by an upper wall 6 of this body and by a movable hood 1, the walls of which are respectively in the 40 same planes as the corresponding sides of the body, when it is closed. The hood 1 is pivoted at I6 and is maintained either in the closed position (Figs. 1, 2, 3 full lines) or in the open position (Fig. 2 broken lines) by a leaf spring I1.

45 The horizontal intermediate wall 8 of the lighter carries a vertical pin 9 near one oi its ends. A steel abrading wheel I0, having ridges, a milled Wheel II serving to move the abrading wheel by means of the finger and projecting 50 slightly from the body at the base of the hood 1 and a support I2 are all mounted freely on the pin 9. A horizontal cylindrical passage I3 is formed in the support I2 where are housed a cylindrical piece I4 of pyrophoric material pro- 55 ducing sparks when it is rubbed by the abrading wheel lll, and the right hand extremity of a cylindrical hollow ram-bolt I5, applying the piece Il'onto this abrading wheel I Il. The ram I5 is dispiaceable in a fixed cylindrical guide i8; between the two is interposed a helical spring I9 threaded on a stem 20 of the guide IB so that it cannot bend in spite of its length, and hinder the easy sliding of the ram I5. The passage I3 and the guide I 8 provide no opening for the lateral introduction of the piece I4.

The ram I5 can be displaced towards the left -to bring it out of the passage I3 Vof the support I2, by acting on an edge 22 placed above I2 and forming part of a sliding member 2i this has a hole 23 in which is engaged a lug 24 0115, passing into a longitudinal groove of the guide I8. The

support I2 is maintained in its normal position corresponding to the working position of the group of elements abradingwheel-piece-spring, by the ram-bolt I5 which penetrates into its passage; it leaves the normal position to take up the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4 and corresponding to the position of accessibility ot the piece I4 o f the group, when the ram I5 is withdrawn, by means of a curved leaf spring 26 acting in a notch 21 formed therein.

The wick 30 emerging from/a tube 3| coming from the reservoir I is at the side of the abrading wheel Ill.

The operation of the embodiment described is as follows:

When not in use, the hood 1 is closed down. on the body of the lighter and covers allthe mechanism with the exception of part of the wheel II. The support I2 occupies its normal position in which its exterior face is in the same plane as the rearward face of thebody, and is maintained there by the ram I5, partially housed in its passage I3. The abrading wheel i0, the piece I4 and the spring I9 are in their operating positions.

If it is desired to use the lighter the hood 1 is raised to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 by acting on its projecting edge 1a, the wheel II is turned and sparks are'thus Struck from the piece I4, which light the wick 30. This piece is maintained in contact with the abrading wheel Iii, however much it is worn, by the ram l5 and the spring I9.

When it is required to examine, clean or change the piece I4, the hood 1 is lifted, the edge 22 is pushed to the left with the finger, which Withdraws thel sliding member .2l and the ram I5 which comes out of the passage I3 of the support I2; this immediately pivots forwardly under the action of the spring 2G and thus presents its passage III axially to the operator; it is maintained there by this spring 26, the movement of which towards the exterior is limited by meeting the wall l. The projection 28 then acts on the ram I5 and maintains it as well as the spring I9 in a position in which I5, I9 are not in the way. The abrading wheel I0, the piece Il, the spring I9 are in their positions of accessibility of I I. The operator then has the piece I 4 freely at his disposition. When the examination, cleaning or replacement is ilnished, the support I2 is pushed towards the rear; this support reassumes its normal position and is again maintained there by the ram I5.

The embodiment described presents various advantages.

When not in use, all the lighting mechanism is completely enclosed, with the only exception of a part of the milled wheel II; the lighter has the complete form of a right angled prism with rectangular faces from which project only the edge la and a part of the wheel II.

If i t is desired to reach the piece I4, two very simple operations have to be carried out without any tools, lifting the hoody 1, displacing the edge 2| towards the left, contrary to what takes place in other known lighters demanding a certain disassembling for this, such as removing one or more screws or aspring.

Replacing it in order for use is simply done by replacing the`support I2 to its normal position.

The spring I9 remains generally fixed in space during these operations, being simply comprised in situ to a slight extent and not being moved with the ram I5, contrary to what takes place in other known lighters.

It can have a great length because it occupies a large part of the length of the reservoir, by reason of the :fact that ram I5 is hollow; this permits it to act with an approximately constant force on thepiece Il, whatever the length of this is.

In spite of that it is not housed in the reservoir I, contrary to what obtains in other known lighters, this reservoir thus remains completely free for the reception of petrol and the wick 30 which illls it approximately completely.

The easy access to the piece I4 is obtained here by forming a divisionbetween the ram I5 and the piece I4 in the group abrading'wheel-pieceram-spring, so thatthe4 piece can be displaced in relation to the ram. This division could also be made between the abrading wheel I0 and the piece I4, in this case it can be arranged to displace either the abrading wheel in relation to the piece or the piece in relation to the abrading wheel, the position of which in space is not changed, in order to aiord access to the said piece. 1

The arrangement ofthe lighting mechanism, the form of the lighter, etc. can differ from those which have been indicated.

What I claim is:v g 1 y 1. A lighter comprising abrading means, a pivotally mounted support having a guide therein, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said guide adapted to cooperate with said abrading means, resilient 'means normally urging said pyrophoric material towards said abrading means and extending into said guide in order to hold said support from pivoting and means ior retracting said resilient means from said guide in order to permit pivoting of said support whereby said piece of pyrophoric material may be replaced.

2. A lighter comprising abrading means, a pivotally mounted support having a guide therein, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said guide adapted to cooperate with said abrading means, means normally urging said pyrophoric material into contact with said abrading means and extending into said guide to maintain said guide in alignment therewith, means normally urging said support and guide out of alignment with said means urging said material into contact with said abrading means and means for withdrawing said urging means for said material from said guide so that said support and guide are pivoted out of alignment whereby the pyrophoric material may be replaced.

3. A lighter comprising abrading means, a pivotally mounted support having a guide therein, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said guide adapted to cooperate with said abrading means, means normally urging said pyrophoric material into contact with said abrading means and extending into said guide to maintain said guide in alignment therewith, means normally urging said support and guide out of alignment with said means urging said material into contact with said abrading means and means for withdrawing said urging means for said material from said guide so that said support and guide are pivoted out of alignment whereby the pyrophoric material may be replaced, and means for holding said means urging said pyrophoric material into contact with said abrading means in Withdrawn position during the time said guide is out of alignment therewith.

4. A lighter comprising an abrading wheel. means for rotating said wheel, a pivotally mounted support, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said support adapted to cooperate with said wheel, resilient means urging said material towards said wheel and locking said support from pivoting and means for retracting said resilient means and thereby permitting pivoting of said support whereby said material may be replaced.

5. A lighter comprising an abrading wheel,

means for rotating said wheel, a pivotally mounted support, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said support adapted tocooperate with said wheel, resilient means urging said material towards said wheel and locking said support from pivoting and means for retracting said resilient means and thereby permitting pivoting of said support whereby said material may be replaced, and means for holding said resilient means in retracted position when said support has been unlocked from said resilient means.

6. A lighter comprising an abrading wheel, means for rotating said wheel, a pivotally mount.. ed support, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said support adapted to cooperate with said wheel, telescopic means urging said material towards said wheel and preventing said support from pivoting and means for withdrawing said telescopic means from said material and said support whereby said material may be replaced.

'1. A lighter comprising an abrading wheel, means for rotating said wheel, a pivotally mounted support, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said support adapted to cooperate with said wheel, resilient telescopic means urging said material towards said wheel and locking said support in alignment therewith, means normally urging said support'out of alignment and means for collapsing said telescopic means away from said material and support whereby said support is pivoted out of alignment in order that said material may be replaced or repaired.

8. A lighter comprising an abrading wheel, means for rotating said wheel, a pivotally mounted support, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said supportadapted to cooperate with said wheel, resilient telescopic means urging said material towards said wheel and 'locking said support in alignment therewith, means normally urging said support out of alignment and means for collapsing said telescopic means l5 away from said material and support whereby 'said support is pivoted out of alignment in order that said material may be repairedor replaced, and a pivoted hood member enclosing said support when locked in position.

9. A llighter comprising an abrading wheel, a shaft upon which said wheel rotates, a support pivoted on said shaft, a piece of pyrophoric material slidably mounted in said support adapted to cooperate with said wheel, resilient means 

